jmX

Are we spreading this again? It comes up in every single aerobar thread, and its just wrong. I can sit in my aerobars all day if I want, and it's 0.7-0.8mph faster at the same watts AND more comfortable than a sharply bent elbow drop bar position.

Of course a 20km TT position will be even more aggressive, more aero, and uncomfortable, but that's one extreme. Dial it back a bit and you get a comfortable endurance position that is faster than the drops.

hhnngg1

This is also wrong. (Man, seems like people really don't know SQUAT about aerobars, but like to speculate.)

Top triathletes at all distances routinely prefer their TT-bike even on the hilliest of courses as opposed to their road bikes, because of the time benefit from the aero savings. The weight penalty for the aerobars is miniscule on the climbs, and you don't need to stay on the aerobars on the climbs since you can ride the hoods where the brakes are.

The aerobars provide a substantive advantage on descents as well. Sure, super curvey descents are too hazardous to roll down in aero without brakes, but for any other straight section, you're much better off with the aerobars.

And the time savings are significant. Even with sizeable climbs, that aero position saves more time than nearly all the other aero goodies combined. They are CLEARLY better than a nonaerobar setup unless you have an egregiously bad aerobar setup. It's a real benefit on flat, fast roads, and unquestioned. You absolutely cannot say that there's 'no speed difference' on flats in a nondrafting situation.

rpeterson

My tri bike is both extremely aero and extremely comfortable, also extremely fast on extremely hilly courses. I like the word extremely btw.

roca rule

Really?
how much climbing is there in a hilly triathlon course I doubt there are hills that are more 1000ft.
And we are not taking about tt bikes we are taking about road bikes with aero bars. Professional road racers chose tt bikes for flattish tt's and road bikes for hilly tt's.

rpeterson

If by hilly tts you mean hill climb events then yes, the pros use road bikes, however for rolling hills you'd be stupid to not use a TT bike when you can.

c.miller64

Not in Ultracycling events. Many are mass start and *everyone* has them.

jmX

The ironman course in new york yesterday had 6000'ish ft of climbing, and I'm sure that Jordan Rapp (who won the event), was on his tri bike.

rpeterson

All the pros and fast amateurs ride TT bikes and disc wheels at Savageman too, here's the bike elevation profile.

https://www.savagemantri.org/Bike_Course.html

popeye

When was the last time you were passed by someone on aerobars?

BillyD

So it's all about passing?

Gosh, I've had it wrong all these years.

hhnngg1

I passed over 50 minute on my ride in Norcal yesterday - on aerobars. Then I got passed by 2 guys - with aerobars.

You just need to ride in an area with more strong triathletes, like Norcal or Socal.

jamesdak 

Well all I know is that the "backup" bike I just picked up used has them on it. Will be trying them out tomorrow for myself. Heck if I care what anyone else thinks. If I perceive a benefit from them they stay on except for events were not allowed. Guess I never much care what anyone thinks about what I do with MY bike.

StanSeven

Do you ever stop bragging about yourself?

David Broon 

Not that I'm self promoting, but Ditch the bars and come ride with tripleshot. You'll get fast fast.

merlinextraligh

First time trial I ever win was in 1990, and it was because I was the first person in my town to have aerobars. Since then I've raced a whole bunch of TT's, a couple of tris, and am currently getting ready for the TT at Master's Nationals, so I have some experience with aerobars. IMHO, for general riding around, they're not that great.

My summary of this debate:

1) Aerobars are absolutely necessary to be competitive in TT's and Tri's.

2)Aerobars are a terrible idea in group rides.

3) It's harder to control a bike riding in the aerobars, due to weight distribution, lack of access to the brakes, and lack of the ability to exercise fine control. Thus they're a bad idea in traffic.

4) Visibility of your surroundings is worse in the aerobars, another reason not to use them in traffic.

5) Properly set up to be aero, they're not very comfortable, for the majority of people. The people who say that they find aerobars to be comfortable, either have a lousy aero position, are more flexible than average,or are masochists.

6) I'm willing to bet that the number of people using aerobars with a setup at least as aero as riding in the drops, that regularly ride in the aerobars, and that actually find that position comfortable is a small percentage of the people who own aerobars.

7) Most people who aren't training for tri's or tt's that have aerobars rarely use them in my observation, which makes you wonder how they can be so confortable and such a speed advantage, yet never get used.

8) A certain percentage of cyclists, mostly people doing long solo rides like aerobars, and if they work for them, good for them.


Beyond not using in a group ride, whether you want to use aerobars is a personal preference. However, the fact that they're not standard equipment, and that most road cyclists, not training for timed events, don't use them, would indicate that on balance for most people, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

StanSeven

Really good assessment, ML!

hhnngg1

Do you ever actually read? Like 90% of the post material is not about bragging and if you can't deal with the reality of me passing 50 folks on aerobars in response to someone who doesn't think anyone on aerobars can pass them, you deal with it.

slowandsteady

I use aerobars for long rides such as centuries to give my hands a break. Any aero benefits are gravy for me, but not the primary reason I use them. I go about .5 mph faster with them even though I have minimal seat to bar drop.

hhnngg1

I agree with most of what merlin wrote, but having ridden a lot with aerobars and not, I'd disagree that they are more uncomfortable than a road bike in drops (which is the comparable position). My TT bike, while not slammed toward forward for super aero, is plenty enough aero that it's definitely faster than my roadie in the drops. I would vastly prefer to ride the aerobars for 3 hours than ride my drops for 3 hours, and I know a lot of folks for whom that's true for.

If you're comparing riding the hoods of the road bike to the aerobars on tt bike, it's not really a fair comparison, because there are no hoods positions that are as aero as an aerobar setup that's not egregiously and obviously bad.

The 'discomfort' of the aerobars is really all about the angle of the back and its result hip angle. The weight on the forearms is a lot easier to maintain than holding drops for hours on end. OF course, if you setup your aerobar position for short distance racing (like 40k TT) it's going to be quite steep, but I woudln't blame the aerobars for that, but rather your steep position.

My aerobars are definitely set up a bit more steeply than my road bike in the drops, but even with that angle, it's a lot easier to rest my arms and upper body weight on pads than to hold them up with my arms in the drops. I think it would be similar for a lot folks as well. It's true that the hip angle is slightly more cramped due to the forward-position seat, but it's never the limiting issue for anyone - it's always the back.

Campag4life

Good discussion for somebody like myself considering a TT bike for training. Even though I am inexperienced in terms of comparing the two, I agree with hhnngg1 that I believe if not set up too aggressively, that forearm pads is likely more comfortable than riding in the drops for 3 hours. This is the reason why I seek a TT bike. One side of me wants to try aero bars on my road bike but it seems the bike fit would end up being too big a compromise....sta way too laid back on my road bike to strike a good aerobar position...and riding for hours on the saddle tip isn't my idea of a good time. By contrast if I morph the bike fit in favor or clip ons and rotate the seat post around, then the bike is rendered uncomfortable for riding the drop bar conventionally with too much weight on my hands with cramped position. So it seems the best solution is a dedicated bike for each and to answer the OP's question, why I believe aerobars don't come on road bikes...position is compromised with both.

StanSeven

It is more about only two passing you. Maybe I misunderstood.

canam73

Sometimes you just can't hide greatness.

UCIMBZ

Because they are stupid.

canam73

What if you used them with a 120mm red stem?

merlinextraligh

Hence the personal preference part. If you find them more comfortable, great. It's certainly impossible to argue what someone else finds comfortable for them.

I would say though the riding in the drops for 3 hours straight isn't the comparison. If you need to be going fast enough for 3 hours in the drops, you'd want aerobars for the aerodynamics anyway. Most people not riding with aerobars are using a mixture of hand positions, not just always in the drops.